Smooth Streaming - September 22-23, 2007

One of the STEREO spacecraft (Behind) observed an elongated loop that emerges and then disperses over a two-day period (September 22-23, 2007). This immense structure is generated by magnetic forces rooted inside the Sun. Observed in the 304 Angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light, it rises up, takes shape, hovers, then gradually and gracefully breaks away from the magnetic forces that held it in place. Its complex twisting and writhing show the complexities of the Sun's magnetic field and are exciting clues for scientists trying to understand and predict solar activity. At its greatest extension it reached about 250,000 miles (400,000 Km) across, roughly the distance from Earth to the moon.